Tips for a safe Halloween

Candy with razor blades and young trick-or-treaters snatched off the streets are rare, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's database at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service for Halloween-related research articles.

To keep kids safe, probation and sex crimes officers do checks on known pedophiles, knocking on their doors ahead of the fright night to enforce no-participation initiatives, Brady said.

In Corpus Christi there are 954 neighborhoods, monitored day and night by about 60 patrol officers in each of four police districts. Patrol officers will focus on residential areas during trick-or-treat hours, Brady said.

Most nights of the year crime spikes closer to midnight, when bar-goers start trying to rev their engines. To work at thwarting that on Halloween, Corpus Christi police traffic officials are going online. Capt. Mark Gutierrez, traffic supervisor, said his division will increase its social media presence by posting Halloween-themed public service announcements against drunken driving in Spanish and English on Facebook and Twitter.

Sugar effect is probably the bigger concern for most costumed candy collectors.

But that would be belly aches, more than hyperactivity, according to studies.

Ingestion of white sugar inevitably produces decreased activity. It's a carbohydrate that contains tryptophan, a precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is more likely to induce sleep than a jolt of activity, according to the criminal justice reference service.

The best Halloween plan is a good defense, according to these tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Stay in groups or with a trusted adult.

Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags. Hold a flashlight to help you see and others see you.